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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. BECKER. PICTURE EXHIBITOR. No. 582,597.

Patented May 11, 1897.

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(No Model.)

Patented May 11, 1897.

INVENTOH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST BECKER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO RAPHAL AIZANMAN,

OF SAME PLACE.

PICTURE-EXHIBITOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,597, dated May 11,1897. Application filed May 18, 1896. Serial No. 591,855. No model-l Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, AUGUST BECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Exhibitors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved picture-exhibitor for theexhibition of photographs and other pictures, advertising devices, andthe like in which the pictures or other matters can be successivelybrought to View, while they are protected against handling, theexhibitor being operated either by hand or by a suitable power in caseit is used for advertising purposes.

The invention consists of a case or receptacle in which two piles ofpicture-holders are arranged sidewise of each other, said holders beingprovided with slots in one end and re cesses in one side, the latterreceiving a vertical rail of a transverse partition which separates thetwo piles. The slots of the pictureholders are engaged byspring-pushers, one being arranged below one pile of pictures and oneabove the same and supported in a suitable slide, said pushers beingoperated by a pivoted and spring-retracted lever-arm operated by hand ora suitable motor. The forward motion of the lever-arm moves the bottomholder from one pile to the other pile, while the return motion of thelever moves the top holder of the latter pile back over the first pile.A safety contrivance is arranged in connection with the lever-arm, so asto prevent the return of the same under influence of the spring untilthe entire swinging motion is completed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved pictureexhibitor. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same on line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the mechanism for moving thepictureholders from one side of the apparatus to the other. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section of the same on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is abottom View of my picture-exhibitor, showing the mechanism for shiftingthe pictureholders. Fig. 5 is a detail top view of one of thepicture-holders. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the same online 6 6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the grooved plate forming part ofthe safety appliance; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse section online 8 8, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a box or receptacle of suitablesize and material, which is provided with a hinged lid A, havingglass-covered openings through which the pictures can be seen. The boxcan be supported on suitable feet applied to its bottom or one of itssides, according as the pictures are to be exhibited in horizontal orvertical position. The box Ais provided with a central transversepartition a, that extends to a certain distance from the top and bottomof thebox, so that the picture-holders can pass readily below the loweredge and over the upper edge of the partition a.

The picture-holders Care preferably made of pasteboard or other suitablematerial and size, so as to receive photographs of cabinet size, butthey may also be made larger or smaller, according to the purpose forwhich the picture-exhibitor is to be used. The picture-holders C arearranged in two piles, one pile being placed in each compartment of thebox A.

Each picture-holder (J has its side edges beveled in opposite direction,and is provided at one end with a slot 0 and a recess 0 in one of itsbeveled sides, which recess receives a vertical guide-rail a. on thepartition (1, so that the pile of picture-holders at the righthand sideof the partition is guided as they pass in downward direction, said railalso preventing the wedging in of the pictureholder next to thelowermost one when the latter is moved forward by the shiftingmechanism. Without the rail it might frequently occur that by thefriction between the picture-holders the one next above the lowermostone would be carried along, so that they would wedge in below thepartition and disturb thereby the regular working of the apparatus.

To the under side of the box A is pivoted at d a lever-arm D, which isprovided with a sliding extension D and a handle cl at its front endsaid arm being guided in the sleeve flanged slide E, which is arrangedto slide in a vertical plane parallel with one side of the box andguided by its bottom flange in a bottom slot cin the bottom of the box,said slide carrying at its lower end a pusher-spring E,

that projeetsby its nose or bent-up endinto the oblong slot 0 of thelowermost pictureholder 0. The upright part of slide E is guided betweena side wall of the box and a longitudinal partition a paralleltherewith, asshown clearly in Fig. To the upper flange of the slide E isattached a springpusher E, which is arranged .in opposite di-- reetionto the other pusher E, so that the upper pusher E will take intotheoblong slot v of the uppermost, picture-holder. The noses or bent-upends of the spring-pushers are beveled off, so as to pass vreadily overthe picture-holders during their return motion without en g'a'gi ngthepicture-holders. Thespringactuated lever-arm D is connected by aspring-arm F, which is pivoted to said leverarm D, with an elongatedgrooved plate F. Theend ofthe spring-arm F is madein the shape of apin f,that engagesthe grooves f fin the grooved plate F".

During the forward motion ofthe lever-arm the pin f of thespring-arm Fmoves in the groove f, but returns in the other groove f duringthereturn motion of the lever-arm. The

depressions Win the bottom of the groove f of plate F serve, throughtheengagement of the .pin f 0 therein,.to arrestthe lever-arm D, when thesame should be released for some reason or the other during its forwardmotion, so as to prevent the release of the picture-holder, which was inthe act of being moved over, and prevent thereby confusion and injury tothe interior mechanism of the apparatus. The lever-arm D is in that casemoved farther forwardfrom its point of detention, so as to fully shiftthe picture-holder. The grooved plate F and the spring-arm F thus form aprotect- ,ing device for the actuating mechanism of thepicture-exhibitor, whereby the same is prevented from getting out oforder by careless or inexperienced handling of the same.

My improved picture-exhibitor is operated as follows: The pictures to beexhibited are first inserted into the picture-holders and the sameplaced in position .intwo piles or stacks at both sides of the centralpartition a, one above the other. The lever-arm is now moved fromone endof the box to the other and back again. This motion produces theshifting,by the pusher E, of the lowermost picture-holder of theright-hand pile into lowermost position below the other pile, and thetop pusher, be-

ing arranged in inverse position, passes over and engages the uppermostpicture-holder of the left-hand pile, which is lifted suifieiently bythe additional picture-holder moved into the bottom, so that when thelever-arm is released at the end of its forward stroke it is quicklyreturned by. the tension of its spring and thereby the uppermostpicture-holder of the left-hand pile moved by the top pusher E back overthe right-hand pile. At every full oscillating motion of thelever-arm 1) this shifting operation of two picture-holders is repeated,and in this manner all the pictures in the two piles are successivelyexhibited. It is obvious that in place of the lever-arm and itsactuating-spring a positive motion may be imparted to the lever-arm by aspring or other motor with which said lever-arm is connected by aconnecting-rod, or otherwise. In this casethere would be no uncertainreturn movement, but a positive return motion under the action of themotor. 'When the picture-exhibitor is used for exhibiting pietures inphotographic or other suchmatter, a motor is preferable, as thereby theattentionofthe public is attracted to the movable pictures in theexhibitor. In this case it may be preferable to place the box with itspictures in vertical position.

Myim proved picture-exhibitor can be used .as a photograph-album forfamily use or when made on a larger scale for an advertising device forexhibiting photographs or otherpictures, or, if desired,advertisingdeviees may be used in connection with the pictures. Thephotographs or other matter can be readily exchanged by opening the box,removing the picture-holders, inserting new pictures and replacing thepicture-holders in the box, and then operatingthe actuating lever-arm inthe manner described, whereby by the lever first the bottom pictures areshifted, then by the return motionof the lever the top pietures, andthereby all the pictures are successively brought to View.

I am aware that picture-exhibitors in which shiftable picture-holdersare arranged and sliding mechanism for shifting the same from one sideto the other are well known, and I thereforedo not claim thepicture-exhibitor shown broadly.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a picture-exhibitor, the combination, with abox or receptacle having a transverse partition, two piles of pictureholders arranged one at each side of said partition, a longitudinalpartition parallel with one side wall of the box, a slide arrangedbetween the longitudinal partition and said side of the box, and adaptedto move parallel therewith, said slide having flanges at its upper andlower edges projecting inwardly beyond the edges of the longitudinalpartition, pushers arranged on the adjacent surfaces of the flanges andadapted to engage said pictureholders, and means for actuating saidslide, substantially as set forth.

2. In a picture-exhibitor, the combination with a box or receptaclehaving a transverse partition, recessed picture-holders arranged inpiles on opposite sides of said partition, a vertical guide-rail on thepartition engaging in the recesses on the picture-holders, top andbottom pushers arranged in opposite directions and adapted to engagesaid pictureholders, a slide supporting said pushers, and a pivoted andspring-retracted arm connected with the bottom of the slide and adaptedto move the lowermost picture of the one pile under the picture-holdersof the second pile, inits forward motion, and to move the uppermostpicture-holder of the second pile over the picture-holders of the firstpile during the return motion of the arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I havesignedmyname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST BECKER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, GEO. W. JAEKEL.

